The next day Pit and the ponies assembled in the hallway to receive the latest information of Hades' plans. Neither Palutena nor Celestia were there, however their voices echoed around the empty space of the hall.
"I bring good news. Discord has not yet been freed," Celestia informed.
The ponies let out a relieved sigh, from which Pit lately followed.
"And there's bad news too, right?" Pit asked.
There was silence for a moment, then Palutena's voice emanated, "you're going to try and stop him again."
"Lady Palutena! You saw his castle last time!" Pit argued, clenching his fist and stepping forward.
"Pit. Have faith," Celestia said.
Pit settled down. Twilight Sparkle walked forward to a dish at the center of the room and looked inside.
"This is the castle?" she asked, looking at the image of Hades' castle shown in the water.
The other ponies trotted over to the dish and looked inside for themselves. Fluttershy flinched at the sight of the castle.
"It looks so spooky," she quietly commented.
"Nothing I can't handle. Let me at 'em!" Rainbow Dash laughed.
"Do you guys always take turns to talk?" Pit asked mockingly.
"What'd he say?" Rainbow Dash grunted.
"Nothing!" Pit quirked.
"Celestia and I have faith that you four shall overcome the castle together," Palutena explained.
"But I'm afraid for now Twilight cannot go." Celestia finished.
Twilight's pupils dilated and she took a step back. A tear formed in the corner of her eye, which she shook off.
"Why not?" she asked.
Celestia shot down from a hole in the ceiling; the room was much like the Pantheon in Rome. She walked up to Twilight and stroked her head to comfort her.
"You're not ready yet," she said.
"What do you mean?" Twilight replied.
"You'll see in due time," Celestia giggled, "now, Pit, I need you to grab a weapon. I'll prepare Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash."
"Aye aye, Princess," Pit saluted.
Pit walked off to choose a weapon. When she was sure he was gone, Fluttershy burst into tears and ran to the end of the hall.
"I..I don't want to fight..." she sniffed.
"Fluttershy. You're going to have to..." Celestia sighed.
"B-but the m-monsters are too scary,"
Celestia sighed and looked at Rainbow Dash, who shrugged. She then turned back to Fluttershy and rubbed her head against her neck to console her.
"Do you want to stay back here, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy was silent for a moment to think what could happen if she replied. She did so quietly, "yes."
Celestia laughed and stood upright, then looked at Twilight, "Twilight, I need you and Fluttershy to watch over Pit and Rainbow Dash from that bowl. If you see anything serious, talk to Palutena and I right away."
"Yes, Princess!" the two said.
Rainbow Dash grinned and started to bounce in circles around Celestia with her wings open.
"And what do I do? What do I do?" she asked.
Celestia laughed, "Rainbow Dash, you will be fighting with Pit."
"Awesome," Rainbow Dash gasped, "but what will I fight with?"
The light coming through the hole in the ceiling became brighter and a brown vest floated down softly. Rainbow ran up to it before it hit the ground and jumped up to wear it in the air.
"I'm fighting with a vest?" she said unenthusiastically.
"Not quite. Rainbow Dash, flap your wings," Celestia said.
Rainbow slowly brought her wings down. As she rose them back up, two small silver cannons moved out of her sides and faced the same direction as her.
"That is so cool!" she exclaimed, "how do I fire?"
"Don't tell her until she's flying, Celestia!" Palutena ordered.
Celestia walked to the circle on the floor with Rainbow Dash, "sorry, guess you'll just have to wait."
She then flew upwards and disappeared at the top. Pit came running through and stopped before Rainbow Dash.
"Nice weapon-vest," he complimented.
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and she panicked, "Pit, your arm is on fire!"
Pit looked to his right arm and laughed, "this is my weapon, the Burning Arm. It's just a sleeve, Rainbow Dash."
"Are you two ready to go?" Palutena asked, opening a door.
"No. I don't want to face all those enemies," Pit sighed.
Rainbow Dash snickered and pushed Pit out of the door, "out you go, scaredy cat!"
Palutena quickly granted Pit the power of flight whilst giggling. Rainbow jumped out of the doorway, only to fall far behind Pit when she started flying.
"Aw what gives? He's way faster than me!" she complained.
Her wings began to glow orange and she suddenly sped up. Her gums were forced up by the g-force but she eventually got over it and caught up to Pit.
"How am I going so fast?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"That'd be the power of flight," Pit explained, "but I don't know how Palutena is giving it to two at once."
"She's not," Celestia's voice laughed.
"Thanks, Princess Celestia!" cheered Rainbow Dash.
The two flew a few miles but didn't encounter any enemies.
"Now I'm worried," Pit said.
"Oh, don't be worried! Now you're getting me worried!" Fluttershy's voice said.
"It's alright, Fluttershy. We can see all around them. There's nothing th-HUH?" Twilight's voice gasped loudly.
"What is it?" Rainbow asked, then screamed.
A Monoeye was coming straight for her. She waved her hooves down and closed her eyes in fear and felt a vibration, then heard two loud bangs. She looked again and some small hearts disappeared on her face.
"Nice shooting, Rainbow Dash. For a second there, I thought you were flailing," Pit laughed.
"Uh...sure," Rainbow Dash gasped, mouth agape.
She waved her hooves down again and the cannons shot two black missiles. She smiled.
More underworld troops flew towards the two and tried to attack, but Rainbow Dash had adapted quickly and was shooting them down like nobody's business.
"Nice work, Rainbow Dash! Now see how a captain of guards does it!" Pit boasted.
Twilight snickered audibly from Skyworld, but Pit ignored this and send blasts of fire from his hands at Monoeyes, slowly burning them until they exploded into hearts. More and more appeared, causing Pit and Rainbow Dash to weave around one another tactically to destroy them.
"That's the last of them!" Twilight said.
"Well done guys!" Fluttershy cheered.
"Alright! Let's defeat Hades!" Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically.
"Not quite yet," Celestia laughed.
"We're nowhere near prepared to fight all those enemies outside his castle," Palutena explained.
"What about the Great Sacred Treasure?" Pit asked.
Palutena fell silent, then quickly continued talking, "we're going to an old friend for assistance. In fact, we're here. Prepare to land."
"Yes 'mam!" the two acknowledged.
They swooped down and shot straight through a dark hole, still under the power of flight. They traveled through the hole and exited to a flash of pink. The first thing they saw was pink thorny vines spreading around the huge space they had entered.
"I know where we are!" Pit exclaimed gleefully.
"Where would that be?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It's like Lady Palutena said; 'we're going to an old friend'," he mimicked her voice badly.
A large green platform rose upwards, which Pit and Rainbow Dash landed on and let their wings relax. Before them was a large hallway blooming with flowers, trees and many other plants. At the end was an empty throne.
"Is she not in?" Pit asked, looking at the throne.
"Of course I'm in!" a very young sounding voice boomed happily.
Pit smiled at the sound of this voice, "Viridi!"
"Hello, Pit. How come you never came to visit these past years?" Viridi replied huffily.
"Um...I didn't have the time?" he replied nervously.
"Figures. You've left me bored."
"Viridi, we've come to discuss important matters with you," Palutena proclaimed.
"Yes, yes, I know what you're here for; but I'm afraid he's not in." Viridi explained vaguely.
"Who?" Pit asked.
"Well we need to speak to you anyway," Celestia said.
"Who's not in?" Pit asked again.
"What? Princess Celestia? Never thought I'd see you again," Viridi laughed sarcastically.
"WHO WERE YOU JUST TALKING ABOUT?" Pit asked angrily.
"Quiet, Pit. The big gods are talking," Palutena commanded.
"But mo-...Lady Palutena!"
"Quiet! Now, Viridi, you must know of Hades' return and his plans?" Palutena asked.
"Yes and I don't agree with him. He's going to mess up nature and I won't stand for it!" she replied.
"Who is this Viridi person, Pit? I can't see her," Rainbow whispered.
"She's the Goddess of Nature. Naturally, she can speak without being seen like the other gods," he replied quietly.
"You guys have left me for so long that I got bored. I don't want to speak to you, really." sighed Viridi.
"What a child!" Twilight's voice mumbled.
"Unless you play a few games with me!" Viridi boomed.
The wall where the throne stood began to lower itself through the floor and revealed a pitch black entrance labeled with neon signs (covered in overgrowth, naturally) pointing towards it saying 'maze'.
"Meet me at the end of this maze and I'll speak to you!" Viridi teased.
"Wow. Some of the people in this universe," Rainbow Dash sighed.
"You get used to it after a while," reassured Pit.
"What are you to waiting for? This will be fun to watch!" Fluttershy exclaimed playfully.
Pit and Rainbow Dash smiled and slowly walked towards the entrance to Viridi's maze.